Seat attachment



Dec. 4, 1951' FIG. I

- INVENTOR. ELWIN M. KINNEY BY wrfbddvk ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEAT ATTACHMENT Elwin M. Kinney, Atlanta, Ga.

Application March 28, 1949, Serial No. 83,941

5 Claims. 1 .This invention relates to a seat attachment, and more. particularly to an attachment which can be conveniently secured to a seat to render it convertible from a non-cushioned seat to a cushioned seat and vice versa.

My seat attachment finds particular use in connection' with the seats customarily found in ball parks and like places, and is designed to provide an individual cushion to be used at the pleasure of the patrons, especially the grandstand patrons, instead of the hard board seat afforded by the usual structures.

It has heretofore been the common practice to provide the patrons of an amusement park, such as a ball park, with individual cushions which are supplied at a small remuneration in addition to the price of admission. Such cushions have heretofore been entirely free from attachment or unattached to the permanent seats, and the cushions often become scattered and misplaced, and are often thrown away by overly enthusiastic patrons, thereby annoying and endangering other patrons and exhibitors.

An objectof my invention is to provide a seat attachment in the nature of a cushioned seat which may be folded out of the way against the back of the seat structure. when not in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a seat'attachment which is capable of being used as a cushioned seat when desired, and which may be folded up out of the way so as not to affect the height of the permanent seat above the floor when said attachment is in its inoperative position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a seat attachment of the type described which can be easily and conveniently attached to the customary grandstand seats in ball parks with but little or no alteration of the permanent seat structure.

.Another object of my invention is to provide a seat attachment of the type described which is attached to the permanent seat structure by means preventing detachment therefrom when locked in inoperative position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a seat attachment of the type described which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, efficient in operation and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

2 Fig. 1 is a side view of a seat showing my attachment in place thereon.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. l. 5 Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top view of a detail.

In the embodiment chosen for illustration, a typical grandstand type seat is shown having upright side frame members l0, l, a plurality of cross frame members If forming a back rest, and a plurality of slats l2 forming a bottom or seat. My novel seat attachment comprises a cushion l3. which may be formed of sponge rubber or other suitable resilient material and which is car-; ried by a base plate M to which it is secured by cementing or fastening in any suitable manner. The base i4 is attached along its rear edge to a pivot rod [5, the ends of which project beyond the sides of the base plate I 4 and are pivotally mounted near the lower end of the fastening members I6, 16, in the' angle formed where the back of the seat meets the permanent seat structure.

The fastening members It, It are angle straps of metal or other suitable material having upstanding sides l1, ll in which the ends of the pivot rod I'5 are mounted, and bottom portions l8, I8 which are screwed or otherwise suitably fastened to the back cross frame members H, the spacing apart of the fastening members being just slightly greater than the width of the cushion l3 and the base plate l4, so that when the attachment is folded up against the back of the chair or grandstand type seat, the screws l9 or other suitable fastening means in the bottom portions I8 of the fastening members l5, l6 are not accessible, and removalvof my attachment is not possible until the base plate l4 and the cushion l3 are swung downwardly about the pivot rod I so as to uncover the fastening members.

When my seat attachment is lowered into operative position, the base plate i4 rests upon the slats l2 and the resilient cushion i3 is presented for use. When use of the cushion is not desired, the front of the base plate is raised to pivot the base plate about the rod i5 and to fold the cushion l3 against the cross frame members ll forming the back of the permanent seat structure. In this position the U-shaped catch mounted on the front of the base plate, and which may extend slightly above the resilient cushion l3, will project between adjacent cross frame members i i and engage the locking device 20 which is of ordinary construction having a slot 2! to receive a coin or check and a handle 22 for manually releasing the look after a proper coin or check has been inserted in the lot for the use of the cushion.

Although the usual grandstand seat is hard and uncomfortable because it is not form fitting,

- the height of the seat above the floor is usually engineered with accuracy, and it is important that this distance above the door be not changed as long asthe seat remains uncushioned. Myseat attachment ac'com rilishes this by folding away against the back of the permanent seat when the cushion is not desired. The smooth unobstructedunder side of the base plate l4 fo m-Sta desirable back rest for the occupant of the seat when the cushion is not in use; and, alsoyin this position the cushion is protected from the 1} weather but gets ventilation between the back cross frame members H, as seen in Fig.4.

It will also be noticed that my novel seat attachment does not 7 interfere with the customary upward folding of the permanent seatlstructure,

which, in .the style .shown in the vdrawing .isdesigned to pivot about the pins 23, 23'.

.It will be obviou's to those skiiledin the art that many modifications and changes can be receiversaidvcatch when said resilient cushion is foldedagainstrsaid back rest, and means iorreleasing said catch from said locking meanswhen it is desired to lower said cushion to be supported upon said seat bottom.

Inconzbinati'on wither seat iia-vinga. back rest and a resilient cushion arranged selectively to bev supported upon "said bottom or toihe folded against said back rest, :a base plate beneath said :oushion and .to wit h said cushion is fastened, said base plate n'g pivot-ally mounted in a fastening member .s'ecur'ed'to'said back rest, a lacking device mounted upon said back rest, a catch securedzto said base plate, said locking devieebeing arranged in receive said ca -h when said resii' ck res t, d from lowersaid cus bottom.

3. In'com-bination .witha seat having a back Iii" 33.15

- ion folded against releasing said catch n :it is desired to eon-to S'UDEGFtSfi said seat rest and a bottom, a resilient cushion arranged selectively to be supported upon said bottom or to be folded against said back rest, a base plate beneath said cushion and to which said cushion is fastened, said base plate being pivotally mounted in fastening members secured to said back rest, a locking device mounted upon the rear of said back rest, a catch secured to the front of said base plate, said locking device being arranged to receive said catch when-said resilient cushion is folded against said back rest, and means for releasing said catch from said locking means when it is desired to lower said cushion toabe supported upon said seat bottom.

4 In combination with a seat having a back rest and 'a bottom, a resilient cushion arranged selectively'to besupported upon said bottom or to be folded against said back rest, a base plate beneath said cushion and to which said cushion is fastened, a pivot rod attached to said base plate alongatherear edgeofzsaid-piate, said rod being mounted riastening members secured to said back rest, .a coin controlled locking device mounted upon the rear of i said back rest, a catch a secured to the front of saidbaseplate and..pro-.

jecting above said cushion, said'l-ockin'g. device being arranged'toireceive said catch :whe'nsaid ilient cushion is folded against said back rest, l

and means for veieasing said. catch .fromxsaid lockingt-means when itis desired to lower-said cushion to be supported upon saidseat'bottom.

5. In combination with aseathavingva-back rest andabottom, a-resiiient cushion arranged selec along rearedgeof said plate andhavingits ends projecting beyond the sides of sa i'dibase g hr s n eats ioeking means when it isedesired te r-lcwerysaid cushionto {be supported-upon said eat bettem- V ELWIN .M.

IBEEERENQELS siren The following references are of record in the file "of this patent:

I -an saAT s PATENTS Number. Name Date imam Grate k "rub Ian 18 75 291,931 Piutti Jan. 15,188i

olyto be supportedsupon'wid bottom orto be folded. against said back rest, a baseplate beneathsa-i'd cushion and to which said/cushion is fastened, a'p-ivot-rod attaohedt'o saidbase plate.

Y being arrangedjto receiresaid catch w en :saidresilient cushion 'isfol-ded against, said back .rest, and means for i'elzeasingxsaid- 

